In electrical plug connections consisting of a first part and a second part adapted to the first and formed as a connecting part, it is known to provide catches which prevent the unintentional disconnection of the plug connection.
As a rule, these catches are formed as resilient elements such as springs, hooks and the like, which grip locking elements from behind.
In case of great mechanical stress of this plug connection, for example in a plug connection installed in a motor vehicle, it is necessary to form the elements required for these catches stronger, so that disconnection of the plug connection, due to the considerable mechanical stresses on the plug connection during operation of the motor vehicle, is prevented.
An electrical plug connection with a U-shaped securing spring made of wire and seated on a connecting part, which grips a detent of a first part inserted in the connecting part, is known from German Patent Disclosure DE-35 31 925 C2, HAKE, published 19 MAR. 1987. The securing spring is a complicated bent component of spring wire having two spring legs, each one of the spring legs forming a two-armed lever, and securing sections with a support section and a manipulation section being formed on the levers.
A component of this type is encumbered with many interdependent tolerances and, in a bendable part, the wire diameter of which is relatively large in comparison with the individual bending sections and for this reason is very stiff per se, this results in high production costs because of complicated tools and large testing expenditures. To prevent lasting deformations which would lead to widening of the U-shape of the spring and would endanger locking, the spring must be guided through support grooves in the connection housing.
This expensive embodiment of the connecting housing prevents the economical manufacture of the plug connection.